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Those that know Erin know that she is larger than life. She lives and plays by her own set of rules; no one tells Erin what to do or who to be. When Erin found out that she was living with a rare form of brain cancer, she found strength within herself and refused(s) to allow a terminal diagnosis crush her spirit. Her inner strength has helped her battle the physical disease as well as its psychological and emotional effects, all while remaining as positive as is possible given her circumstance.
Until recently all of her prior MRI scans have been considered “stable”, but during her past few semi-monthly visits, her neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon have found reason to be concerned. Over the past six months, the remaining tumor has begun to change shape and grow at a very slow rate, which is not typical of a glioblastoma. As a result, she will undergo a biopsy today, August 7th.
Recent MRI scan of Erin's tumor. 80% of her original tumor was removed during her craniotomy on May 22, 2012. The remaining tumor is white, while the black shows the sight where the original tumor was removed. The small white arrow shows the part of Erin's residual tumor that has led her to go under the knife again.
Since finishing radiation treatment in August of 2012, Erin has traveled to Houston every other month for follow-up appointments and MRIs for a total of 26 trips to date and counting. Over three years of consistent travel back and forth with at least one nightly stay in a hotel each and every time is just one of the very costly expenses that comes along with a cancer diagnosis. In addition to this, Erin has to maintain a very expensive, high tier, multi-state health insurance plan in order to continue her care in Texas. But even with her premium plan, there is so much that the insurance company does not cover. As a result, her medical bills and medical related expenses are insurmountable, making it nearly impossible for her to pay for her most basic necessities.
We are asking you to please consider giving the gift of a donation that lift some of the financial burden she carries while fighting this disease. 100% of your donation will be applied directly to Erin’s past, present and future medical expenses and will allow her to focus on chronicling the details of her experience to connect with and educate others faced with cancer at a young age in order to share the power of positive thinking.
She continues to highlight beauty and color in places that others take for granted and continues to be a light in all of our lives. Your donation affords Erin the time to continue to inspire, teach and add vibrancy to our lives and the lives of those that can benefit from her experience.
For those interested, the following is an abridged version of Erin’s journey from pre-diagnosis to present ...
After experiencing sudden prolonged numbness to the left side of her body later coupled with debilitating migraines, in late April of 2012 at 28 years of age, Erin learned that she had a brain tumor that is suspected to have been growing inside of her head for ten to fifteen years.
Upon learning of the mass, she was referred to the best Neurosurgeon in New Orleans, who due to the size and location of the tumor “wouldn’t touch her case.” He alternatively placed her on the fast track to having the tumor removed at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston – a top rated cancer center for neuro-oncology and the shortest distance cancer center from her home in New Orleans.
In early May of 2012, she drove to MD Anderson for the first time to meet with the neurosurgeon that would be performing her upcoming surgery. That following week she underwent a fourteen-hour craniotomy where eighty percent of the enormous mass was removed. After only a couple days in the ICU, the brilliance of her neurosurgeon met with Erin’s positive attitude leading to a swift recovery; she was discharged and released from the hospital. She recovered for two weeks at home before returning to Houston to have the thirty-nine staples removed from the back of her head as well as to learn the pathology of what was thought by both neurosurgeons to be a slow-growing, benign tumor.
Erin is diagnosed with a rare form of Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme – not only malignant, but the most aggressive form of brain cancer. All malignant brain tumors, no matter what stage are considered terminal, as there is no known cure.
For those with the unfortunate diagnoses of brain cancer, there is no hope for remission. Chemotherapies and other treatments fail to eliminate the cancer and only prolong patient survival; nevertheless, the standard care of treatment of patients with malignant gliomas still remains palliative and encompasses a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. For adults with glioblastoma treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, median survival is about 14.6 months and two-year survival is only 30%. However, a 2009 study reported that almost 10% of patients with glioblastoma live five years or longer with the disease. Unfortunately, the final mortality rate is close to 100%.
In June of 2012, Erin moved into a small, sterile, over-priced one bedroom medical apartment close to the hospital for six weeks to undergo IMRT radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy. It was during the radiation treatment that Erin lost every single strand of her long, yellow hair; what she called her “mane”. This devastated Erin, but naturally she made the most of her loss and with the help of her friend Jamie at Fifi Mahonys, began donning wigs to make her feel more like herself, and a little bit like Tina Turner circa 1965.
In September of 2012, she entered into a yearlong chemotherapy clinical trial that was presented by her neuro-oncologist and began the trial one-month after radiation treatment came to an end. The phase II trial’s medication included the standard oral chemotherapy, temozolomide, but Erin’s dose was nearly triple the standard dosage. The trial also integrated two additional drugs into the therapy: Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and Mefloquine, a drug used to treat malaria. The clinical trial was looking to determine whether uping the dosage and adding drugs that typically treat other illnesses would yield better results. During the year of the trial, Erin had her up days and her down days, but she remained positive throughout the entire process. Patients who receive the standard treatment of care receive 150-200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days of a 28-day cycle; Erin took 240 mg/m2 daily for 14 days during a 28-day cycle.
It has been over three years since the majority of Erin’s tumor was removed and almost two years since the chemotherapy trial came to an end. Until recently all of her prior MRI scans have been considered “stable”, but during her past few visits her neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon have found reason for concern. Over the past six months, the remaining tumor has begun to change shape and grow at a very slow rate, which is not typical of a glioblastoma. After specialized testing, the center’s neurology department cannot determine if the change is due to treatment effect from radiation, the more preferred option, or if her tumor is recurring. When it comes to dealing with something as aggressive as GBM, recurrence is inevitable and more often than not likely to have little to no options for treatment.
July 20, 2015, the day before her 32nd birthday, Erin learned that she will have to undergo a biopsy (another invasive brain surgery) to further diagnose the two areas surrounding her tumor that have been changing shape in order to determine the next road to take on her journey.
At an uncommonly young age for this illness, coming to terms with being diagnosed with an atypical malignant cancer was no small feat. Recovering from life-threatening brain surgery, undergoing brain-inhibiting radiation, taking nearly triple the standard dose of poisonous chemotherapy drugs for an entire year, and losing all of her hair within such a small window of time would have taken down the strongest of fighters, but Erin isn’t a fighter, she is a warrior.
Photograph of Erin in Houston’s museum district in one of her wigs after her first post-Radiation Treatment follow-up
Until recently Erin has held jobs despite her disease, but with the consistent travel and time off, the impending biopsy, and dealing with the ongoing symptoms of her illness, Erin can no longer consistently hold a job. All the while, her medical bills and expenses continue to grow.
The statistics state that only 10% of patients with glioblastoma live five years or longer, and at the five-year mark a person living with GBM becomes a brain cancer survivor. Erin knows that she can and will survive brain cancer. Her drive and her will to survive are unconquerable. But, when you go to war you need not only the power of will, but also the funds to back it. We ask that you please help her in her personal war against brain cancer in any way that you can. No amount is too small and all donations are graciously appreciated. All of the funds collected from this page will be put directly towards Erin’s medical expenses, where we know she WILL go on to be part of the 10%, and a Brain Cancer Survivor.
Gray Matters!
From the bottom of our hearts ❤,
The Buckettes
Judy, Erin, Raegan, Ellen and Shannon
Until recently all of her prior MRI scans have been considered “stable”, but during her past few semi-monthly visits, her neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon have found reason to be concerned. Over the past six months, the remaining tumor has begun to change shape and grow at a very slow rate, which is not typical of a glioblastoma. As a result, she will undergo a biopsy today, August 7th.
Recent MRI scan of Erin's tumor. 80% of her original tumor was removed during her craniotomy on May 22, 2012. The remaining tumor is white, while the black shows the sight where the original tumor was removed. The small white arrow shows the part of Erin's residual tumor that has led her to go under the knife again.
Since finishing radiation treatment in August of 2012, Erin has traveled to Houston every other month for follow-up appointments and MRIs for a total of 26 trips to date and counting. Over three years of consistent travel back and forth with at least one nightly stay in a hotel each and every time is just one of the very costly expenses that comes along with a cancer diagnosis. In addition to this, Erin has to maintain a very expensive, high tier, multi-state health insurance plan in order to continue her care in Texas. But even with her premium plan, there is so much that the insurance company does not cover. As a result, her medical bills and medical related expenses are insurmountable, making it nearly impossible for her to pay for her most basic necessities.
We are asking you to please consider giving the gift of a donation that lift some of the financial burden she carries while fighting this disease. 100% of your donation will be applied directly to Erin’s past, present and future medical expenses and will allow her to focus on chronicling the details of her experience to connect with and educate others faced with cancer at a young age in order to share the power of positive thinking.
She continues to highlight beauty and color in places that others take for granted and continues to be a light in all of our lives. Your donation affords Erin the time to continue to inspire, teach and add vibrancy to our lives and the lives of those that can benefit from her experience.
For those interested, the following is an abridged version of Erin’s journey from pre-diagnosis to present ...
After experiencing sudden prolonged numbness to the left side of her body later coupled with debilitating migraines, in late April of 2012 at 28 years of age, Erin learned that she had a brain tumor that is suspected to have been growing inside of her head for ten to fifteen years.
Upon learning of the mass, she was referred to the best Neurosurgeon in New Orleans, who due to the size and location of the tumor “wouldn’t touch her case.” He alternatively placed her on the fast track to having the tumor removed at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston – a top rated cancer center for neuro-oncology and the shortest distance cancer center from her home in New Orleans.
In early May of 2012, she drove to MD Anderson for the first time to meet with the neurosurgeon that would be performing her upcoming surgery. That following week she underwent a fourteen-hour craniotomy where eighty percent of the enormous mass was removed. After only a couple days in the ICU, the brilliance of her neurosurgeon met with Erin’s positive attitude leading to a swift recovery; she was discharged and released from the hospital. She recovered for two weeks at home before returning to Houston to have the thirty-nine staples removed from the back of her head as well as to learn the pathology of what was thought by both neurosurgeons to be a slow-growing, benign tumor.
Erin is diagnosed with a rare form of Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme – not only malignant, but the most aggressive form of brain cancer. All malignant brain tumors, no matter what stage are considered terminal, as there is no known cure.
For those with the unfortunate diagnoses of brain cancer, there is no hope for remission. Chemotherapies and other treatments fail to eliminate the cancer and only prolong patient survival; nevertheless, the standard care of treatment of patients with malignant gliomas still remains palliative and encompasses a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. For adults with glioblastoma treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, median survival is about 14.6 months and two-year survival is only 30%. However, a 2009 study reported that almost 10% of patients with glioblastoma live five years or longer with the disease. Unfortunately, the final mortality rate is close to 100%.
In June of 2012, Erin moved into a small, sterile, over-priced one bedroom medical apartment close to the hospital for six weeks to undergo IMRT radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy. It was during the radiation treatment that Erin lost every single strand of her long, yellow hair; what she called her “mane”. This devastated Erin, but naturally she made the most of her loss and with the help of her friend Jamie at Fifi Mahonys, began donning wigs to make her feel more like herself, and a little bit like Tina Turner circa 1965.
In September of 2012, she entered into a yearlong chemotherapy clinical trial that was presented by her neuro-oncologist and began the trial one-month after radiation treatment came to an end. The phase II trial’s medication included the standard oral chemotherapy, temozolomide, but Erin’s dose was nearly triple the standard dosage. The trial also integrated two additional drugs into the therapy: Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and Mefloquine, a drug used to treat malaria. The clinical trial was looking to determine whether uping the dosage and adding drugs that typically treat other illnesses would yield better results. During the year of the trial, Erin had her up days and her down days, but she remained positive throughout the entire process. Patients who receive the standard treatment of care receive 150-200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days of a 28-day cycle; Erin took 240 mg/m2 daily for 14 days during a 28-day cycle.
It has been over three years since the majority of Erin’s tumor was removed and almost two years since the chemotherapy trial came to an end. Until recently all of her prior MRI scans have been considered “stable”, but during her past few visits her neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon have found reason for concern. Over the past six months, the remaining tumor has begun to change shape and grow at a very slow rate, which is not typical of a glioblastoma. After specialized testing, the center’s neurology department cannot determine if the change is due to treatment effect from radiation, the more preferred option, or if her tumor is recurring. When it comes to dealing with something as aggressive as GBM, recurrence is inevitable and more often than not likely to have little to no options for treatment.
July 20, 2015, the day before her 32nd birthday, Erin learned that she will have to undergo a biopsy (another invasive brain surgery) to further diagnose the two areas surrounding her tumor that have been changing shape in order to determine the next road to take on her journey.
At an uncommonly young age for this illness, coming to terms with being diagnosed with an atypical malignant cancer was no small feat. Recovering from life-threatening brain surgery, undergoing brain-inhibiting radiation, taking nearly triple the standard dose of poisonous chemotherapy drugs for an entire year, and losing all of her hair within such a small window of time would have taken down the strongest of fighters, but Erin isn’t a fighter, she is a warrior.
Photograph of Erin in Houston’s museum district in one of her wigs after her first post-Radiation Treatment follow-up
Until recently Erin has held jobs despite her disease, but with the consistent travel and time off, the impending biopsy, and dealing with the ongoing symptoms of her illness, Erin can no longer consistently hold a job. All the while, her medical bills and expenses continue to grow.
The statistics state that only 10% of patients with glioblastoma live five years or longer, and at the five-year mark a person living with GBM becomes a brain cancer survivor. Erin knows that she can and will survive brain cancer. Her drive and her will to survive are unconquerable. But, when you go to war you need not only the power of will, but also the funds to back it. We ask that you please help her in her personal war against brain cancer in any way that you can. No amount is too small and all donations are graciously appreciated. All of the funds collected from this page will be put directly towards Erin’s medical expenses, where we know she WILL go on to be part of the 10%, and a Brain Cancer Survivor.
Gray Matters!
From the bottom of our hearts ❤,
The Buckettes
Judy, Erin, Raegan, Ellen and Shannon